WhatsApp has begun introducing a highly anticipated feature—message scheduling—to select beta testers on iPhone, much to the delight of its extensive user base.
Upcoming Feature: Scheduled Messages
As reported by Mark Zuckerberg in April of the previous year, WhatsApp boasts over 3 billion monthly active users globally. Despite its large user base, many functionality enhancements offered by competing apps have been slow to arrive on WhatsApp. One notable feature is message scheduling, which has been greatly awaited by users.
Earlier this year, WABetaInfo unveiled clues within the app’s code suggesting that WhatsApp was developing this feature. Now, the rollout has begun for selected iOS beta testers, following its initial launch on Android.
How It Works
According to WABetaInfo’s detailed explanation, users can easily schedule messages directly from the chat interface. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown:
- Compose your message in the chat input field.
- Tap and hold the send button to access scheduling options.
- A date and time picker will open, allowing users to select when they want the message sent.
- Confirm the scheduled time by tapping the green button at the bottom of the screen, which displays the exact delivery time before finalizing.
- A confirmation will appear in the chat, visible only to the user who scheduled the message.
Users have the flexibility to schedule messages from 10 minutes to two weeks in advance. Moreover, these scheduled messages will be organized within a specific section of the chat info screen, including for group chats.
For group chats, a notable limitation exists: scheduled messages are delivered only to users who were part of the group at the time the message was scheduled. This means that newcomers to the group will not receive these previously scheduled messages, even if they join before the message is sent.
Additionally, users can include photos, videos, and links within their scheduled messages. However, a current limitation prevents scheduling multiple media items simultaneously; each must be scheduled as an individual message.
At this stage, the scheduled messaging feature is limited to a select number of testers, and there is no manual option to enable it. Although a broader public release date remains unspecified, the advancement in testing across both iOS and Android suggests that a wider rollout may occur soon.
For a comprehensive analysis, you can refer to WABetaInfo’s full report.
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